Advent – Come Emmanuel

This year for Advent we used the theme of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. Each week we had a different reading from poetry by Cheyrl Lawrie. I was really excited to come across her blog and I really appreciate her writing and perspective.

Here’s each week’s reading and song choice, the poems are longer so I’ll show an excerpt and you can just follow the links to read them. It’s worth it!

If your looking for an Advent Worship Theme or some creative ideas to use in you worship service for lighting advent candles or for advent readings, the ideas below may be helpful.

Week 1: Waiting

‘…i’m still learning what waiting with faith looks like for those who are living it with every breath… or maybe i’m learning that living waiting with every breath is in itself a fierce act of faith.’ read more.

Week 3:

Week 4:

We used a 2 person reading of John 1 – Download it here: ‘WordbecameFlesh‘ Our hope was this would help introduce the sermon theme of ‘Heaven Meets Earth’. As we read we played Casting Crowns’ instrumental version of ‘O Come O Come Emmanuel’.

Christ Candle:

For all we know,
before Mary sang her song of joy
she wept tears of frustration
despair
and heartbreak.

I like to think she did.

For all we know,
before Mary welcomed God’s action with delight,
she fought what was happening to her
and she resented the presumption
of the divine.

For all we know,
for at least a moment
and probably longer,
Mary was bewildered,
distraught
and lost.

The miracle we celebrate today
may somehow seem more impossible
than the idea that Mary got pregnant
or that God became human.
It’s that in the face of devastationand from deep within the truth of heartbreak and desolation
there might still come
unbidden a moment of joy